‘The Monster’ tops UK Singles Chart

In one of the most exciting chart battles of 2013, One Direction have been denied their fourth UK Number 1 single by Eminem and Rihanna.

Despite being released on Tuesday, and having a 48 hour disadvantage on the rest of this week’s new singles, Eminem and Rihanna’s The Monster has romped ahead of Harry, Zayn, Niall, Liam and Louis, who had been leading the race all week with their new single, Story Of My Life.

Taken from Eminem’s forthcoming eighth studio album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (out tomorrow), The Monster is the US rapper seventh UK Number 1 single and Rihanna’s eightth.

The last time the pair released a single together was 2010’s Love The Way You Lie, which peaked at Number 2 on the Official Singles Chart. It has gone on to become one of the UK’s biggest selling singles of all-time, with more than 1.15 million copies sold.

Eminem last topped the Official Singles Chart almost seven years ago featuring on Akon’s Smack That, while Rihanna now joins Elvis Presley and The Beatles in the Official Chart history books as just one of three acts to have scored seven Number 1 singles over seven consecutive years.